


Commonality

by mydeira, Sadbhyl



Series: Responsible Adults (aka, The Menageaverse) [20]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-04
Updated: 2012-06-04
Packaged: 2017-11-06 20:20:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/422802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mydeira/pseuds/mydeira, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sadbhyl/pseuds/Sadbhyl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spike finds Ethan out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Commonality

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place after Comfort.
> 
> Written by Mydeira, beta'd by Sadbhyl

Spike burst through the door of the Magic Box. Kicking it shut behind him, he threw off the smoldering blanket on the ground. He really needed to start looking for a new blanket, this one was starting to wear a bit thin. There were blankets to spare at the Summers’ household, maybe he could nick one next time he was there. Nah, didn’t seem right stealing from Joyce like that.

The store was empty save Rupert bent over a book by the cash register. The whelp’s girl was nowhere in sight. Much easier to steal from the Watcher, especially as distracted as he was lately.

“Oi, Watcher, a bit rude not to greet your customers, don’t you think?” he asked, making his way to the counter.

Not bothering to look up, “To be a customer, one pays for the goods one wants.”

“With that kind of attitude, no wonder this place is deserted,” Spike feigned hurt as he walked over to the shelves of herbs and spices. Picking his way through the rows and trying to figure out Anya’s latest organizational scheme, he asked casually, “How’s Joyce doin’?”

“Tired, but still trying to work,” the watcher replied. Unlike the others, Rupert seemed to accept Spike’s concern over Joyce as genuine.

“Can’t keep the Summers women down,” he said, pocketing some burba weed. “Bit’s behavin’ I hope?”

“Dawn’s been quite helpful,” was the distracted reply.

“Probably scared out of her mind between her mum being sick and this Beast on the prowl,” he grabbed a few candles. “Lucky big sis is around to—”

“I found Bryxtol’s but your Meryton and Yammish isn’t up there,” a lithe man brushed passed him, setting some texts by the Watcher.

Something about the man irked Spike. He watched as the two men conversed. Right, Rupert’s mate from when the Gentlemen came calling last year. The one who’d been hanging over Joyce. Wait. He sniffed. That scent wasn’t coming from Rupert, it—

“You!” he growled, lunging at the man and managing to tackle him to the floor before the chip kicked in. The man disengaged himself while Spike clutched his exploding head.

“Spike, what in the hell are you thinking?” Rupert was around the counter, stake at the ready. Good to know how far the trust extended.

“He’s the one who hurt Joyce! And you let him live?” Spike stared at him incredulously.

“Care to tell me why your pet vampire here is attacking me, Ripper?”

“‘m not his pet!” Spike stood up too fast and found himself almost back on the ground. Turning to Rupert, “Are you out of your mind letting him near Joyce? Especially with all that’s going on.”

“Spike, Ethan’s not—” Rupert tried to intercede, but the Ethan bloke cut him off.

“Let me fight my own battles, Rupert, I’m more than capable, even if he didn’t have that chip in his head,” Ethan said firmly.

“Gonna beat up a poor defenseless vamp, like you did with Joyce?” Spike sneered.

Ethan grabbed him by the lapels and pulled him close. “There are things you don’t know about what happened, boy. As for hurting Joyce goes, I neither wanted it to happen nor intend for it to happen again,” he said, voice deadly quiet. “And unlike my friend here, I lack morals. A staking is the least of your worries around me. So I’d watch myself if I were you.”

“Shakin’ in my boots here,” Spike blustered, trying to ignore just how close he was to actually shaking in his boots. The power rolling off the man would have been tangible even if Spike didn’t have heightened senses. Had to be careful around this one. Might be Rupert’s friend but . . .

“Cocky, aren’t you? Even with that chip,” Ethan studied Spike closely before releasing him unceremoniously. Then to the Watcher, “You couldn’t have found a smarter one?”

“He more or less found us. Showed up on my door step needing help,” he replied. “Took pity on him. Probably would have been better to stake him then. Put him out of all of our misery.”

“Hey, now!” Spike said, offended. “I’ve helped out, haven’t I? Earned my place.”

“He’s almost worse than you, Ethan. If the price is right, he’ll do pretty much anything,” Rupert flashed a wicked grin.

“It’s not always about the price, Ripper, old man,” Ethan corrected his friend. “Sometimes all one needs is the right motivation. Though money is a nice bonus.”

“Can’t help out of the goodness of my own heart?” Spike interjected.

Giles laughed derisively. “I’ll believe that if I ever see it.”

The door dinged, announcing a customer. So being the good shopkeeper, Rupert went off to attend to them.

Ethan broke the silence first, “Why do you stick around? Hellmouth doesn’t seem to be all that lucky for you.”

“And you would know that how?”

“I have my sources,” he smiled enigmatically. “You used to be quite feared at one time. Running around Europe with Angelus and his women.”

“Dru wasn’t bloody his,” Spike felt the demon rise. Not that he could do a damn thing about it, stupid chip.

“He had her first.”

“One could say the same about Rupes with Joyce, couldn’t they,” Spike bit back. Take that, you over-confident prat.

The other man’s eyes grew dark but quickly returned to normal. “The difference between you and me, Spike, is that I’m not a fool. I know how things stand.”

Not a fool, eh? Time would tell on that one.

“You never answered my question,” Ethan said.

“Didn’t deserve one. Why I’m here is no business of yours.”

Ethan shrugged and turned back to the stack of texts, dismissing Spike. So that’s how it was?

Spike watched Ethan. The man didn’t seem to care whether he was wanted or not. If he wanted to be somewhere, he would be there, be damned to the sentiment. Cocky, confident, powerful . . . Spike could almost admire him. Would have be an interesting ally back in the day.

Suddenly it dawned on Spike where else he knew this man. “Rayne, isn’t it? The chaos mage?” The man looked up and nodded. “Did that costume thing on Halloween a few years back, didn’t you?”

“I did.”

“Been meanin’ to thank you for that. Nearly helped me bag my third slayer,” Spike said with grudging appreciation.

“Glad to be of some service.”

Silence. Maybe he could like this bloke after all.

“So, how’s Rupert here get mixed up with the likes of you? From what I’ve heard, your stuff and his, not much in common there. One would think you’d be enemies.”

“We go way back,” Ethan said with a smile. “You’d be amazed at how much we do have in common.”

“Right then.” There was a story there . . . always knew the Watcher had a bit of a dark side. Seemed a bit darker than even he assumed. “So what’s the lady see in someone like you? Rupert here has the hero thing going for him. You the bad boy?”

“One could say that,” Ethan said. “Plus I have my redeeming qualities, don’t I, Ripper?”

The Watcher, having returned, glared at his friend, but there was more in that look than annoyance. “I wouldn’t exactly call them redeeming.”

So it wasn’t just Joyce and either one of them. It was Joyce with both of them, and them with each other. Very interesting. He said, “So what else are you keeping from the kiddies? If they only knew . . .”

“Spike, don’t,” Rupert said deadly cold. “I honestly will stake you.”

“Wouldn’t it be worth it to see the looks on their faces. Find out what a stuffed shirt you aren’t and—”

“Joyce doesn’t want them to know,” Rupert cut in.

Spike didn’t have anything to say to that.

“So how you gonna explain Ethan’s hangin’ around?” he asked Rupert pointedly. “Doubt the slayer will buy that he’s visitin’ an old friend. Especially after that tattoo incident.”

They both looked at him.

“Have my sources, too.” Then, “Buffy’s a smart chit, she’ll stumble upon him sooner or later. And I doubt that will be pretty.”

Ethan smiled knowingly and Rupert frowned.

“I told you we couldn’t put it off for much longer,” Ethan said pointedly.

“I’d like to find out a little bit more before—”

“Your slayer does have the uncanny ability of figuring things out for herself. If this one’s figured it out, I’m doubting that day’s very far off,” Ethan smirked.

Spike couldn’t wait for the Slayer to find out about her Watcher’s recreational activities. He would pay to see the look on her face. Always did enjoy seeing Rupert squirm when his humanity came to light. The man was far from an asexual father figure. Oh, the Scoobs were in for a real surprise. He did feel bad about what Joyce would probably have to endure when it all came out, but it couldn’t be helped. And this Ethan character, Spike was almost starting to like him. Might make things a bit better having him around. If nothing else his being around would give Spike a break from the slayer’s full wrath.

“So,” Spike said, conversationally, “which one of you’s the dominant?”

He’d been expecting some embarrassed bluster from Rupert and who knows what from Ethan. But what he got was the stereo reply, “Joyce.”

Never again would he underestimate the power of a Summers woman.  



End file.
